Nobilis Enmore No. 5 AWM 1988

Nobilis selected this 1988 as a single cask, with the AWM marque and Versailles pot still character pointing to the robust, raw-wood side of Guyana rather than the lighter wooden Coffey. At thirty-two years and a measured 50%, it is a refined, unsweetened expression that drinks more easily than its age might suggest.

Matured in ex-bourbon and bottled dry, it shows dried fruit, caramel and wood on a fresh nose, then dried fruit, roasted notes, liquorice and herbs on the palate, finishing on roasted wood, smoke and dried fruit. The body is more chiselled and tannic than plush, with the wood and chocolate leading and a touch of yellow-fruit sweetness lifting it. This is a dry, characterful old Demerara for drinkers who want firm structure and dark wood over richness, a slow sipper that holds together cleanly across a long evening.